People living in large cities who want to return to the countryside to engage in agriculture or livestock farming can receive government-supported credit and grant assistance. Eligible applicants who meet the program’s conditions can benefit from these financial supports, offered as grants and loans.
What Does the Return-to-Village Project Cover?
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry offers grant support under this program, although the grant does not include home construction costs. Beneficiaries must use the grant amount to build their own homes. For 2020, the grant amount was set at 30,000 TL and, being a grant, it does not need to be repaid. In addition, moving expenses related to relocating back to the village can be reduced by applying to metropolitan municipalities for assistance with transportation.
The return-to-village grant is 30,000 TL, and loan support is available up to 100,000 TL. Applicants who plan to return to rural areas and pursue agricultural or livestock activities can access these grants and loans if they operate in the following fields:
- Large livestock farming (cattle, water buffalo, oxen),
- Small ruminant farming (sheep, goats),
- Poultry farming (chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks),
- Silkworm breeding,
- Seedling, sapling production and cultivation of ornamental plants for indoor and outdoor use,
- Cultivation of edible mushrooms,
- Protected cultivation – greenhouse production,
- Establishment and production in closed-fruit orchards.
Support is also available for cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants. For geographically designated areas, projects that use local genetic resources and apply organic or good agricultural practices for plant and animal production may receive grant and loan support for the production, processing, and storage of medicinal and aromatic plants.
Who Is Eligible for Loans?
Applicants seeking grant and loan support under the return-to-village initiative must meet certain requirements. Applicants must be between 18 and 41 years old; those outside this age range are not eligible to apply for grants or loans. Applicants must have a ready project demonstrating that they will carry out activities in the sectors published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for the required periods, must not be employed and insured elsewhere, must possess the documents or infrastructure and equipment required by the project, and must commit to operating in the supported activity for at least three years. The required period of activity can vary depending on the sector.
How to Obtain the 100,000 TL Loan Support?
Within the 2020 framework, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry offered interest-free loans of up to 100,000 TL for those who return to rural areas to work in farming or livestock. Eligible beneficiaries include individual producers, contract producers, agricultural cooperatives, and producer organizations, which can access the loan with designated support rates.
However, the interest rate support varies by sector. For some widespread animal production activities, loans may be entirely interest-free, while in other sectors interest rates are subsidized at specific rates. For example, for pedigree heifer purchases a 75% interest subsidy may apply; for small ruminant farming and beekeeping a 50% subsidy; for poultry farming a 25% subsidy; for greenhouse production a 75% subsidy; for forage crop production a 75% subsidy; and for agricultural machinery purchases a 75% subsidy. Actual rates depend on the specific program terms and year of application.
To apply for the loan, applicants must submit their project detailing the intended use of the funds to the relevant bank. Applications are typically handled by state agricultural banks. Required documents generally include an identity document, property title deeds or mortgage documents when credit will be secured by real estate, and the Farmer Registration System (ÇKS) certificate when applicable. Submitting these documents together with the project application is usually sufficient to initiate the loan evaluation process.